Grand Gesture
by ssklarolinewrites
Summary: Klaus makes Caroline's Christmas wish come true.


Grand Gesture

 _This is a college AU drabble for Klarogasm as part of the KC Winter Wonderland exchange._

 **Disclaimer: Not my characters.**

Caroline Forbes was head of the Drama Club at Whitmore College. It was one of the many extracurricular activities she was involved in. It was her senior year of college and it was going to be great if it killed her.

One of Caroline's ideas for the drama club was a fundraiser for their spring play. The more money they raised, the more they could do with the show and of course she was going out for the lead. Her fellow actors set up a booth on campus where people could get photos taken with Santa and his elves. It was open to the public and advertised around town. Her friend Stefan reluctantly agreed to be Santa.

Thankfully it had been a hit with a stream of kids coming through. Many professors brought their own kids. It was early enough in December that the pictures could be sent out as Christmas cards. Most kids were well behaved. A few were nervous, but Caroline liked charming them into getting comfortable with Santa. The 4 and 5 year olds had some great wishes for him that made her laugh and some had tough questions for Stefan.

When they were packing up, campus buzzing around them, Stefan opened his arms, still in his Santa suit up on the little stage. "What do you want for Christmas, Caroline Forbes?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, but caved in and sat on his lap before they dismantled everything. "World peace, 28 hour days to study for finals, a job after graduation, and no student loans," she told him with a smile.

Someone spotted her in Santa's lap, looking as fetching as always and moved closer to listen.

"I'd settle for a great senior year and maybe a date to the Winter Formal. A grand gesture would be nice, but I'd settle for a text message at this point," she joked.

The Winter Formal was the senior class' last dance of their college career. It was held in February, not long after they returned to school after the semester break coming up. Tickets just went on sale and people were already getting asked. Not her though.

Caroline was single. She broke up with her ex, Tyler, at the end of the summer. There had been no one special since. She was happy, but she would like to go with someone. All of her friends already had dates.

"Caroline, that is the easiest Christmas wish ever," Stefan said, getting up after she did. He had his own date himself. "If you'd give any of these guys a chance, they would ask."

She shrugged.

"Hey Stefan," Klaus Mikaelson said, having heard enough. He gave a short wave to his friend, admiring how Caroline looked in her elf costume.

"Klaus, we still on later?"

"Yeah."

Klaus walked on. He was in the same Statistics class as Stefan and a study group was meeting that night.

"Why not him?" Stefan asked, nodding towards Klaus walking away.

"The hot British guy who likes to paint? He doesn't know who I am."

Stefan knew that wasn't true and grinned. He'd seen the looks Klaus sent Caroline's way. He occasionally asked about her, trying to be nonchalant too. "He lives in our dorm. He knows who you are," he reminded Caroline who shrugged again and they finished cleaning up.

Klaus definitely knew who Caroline Forbes was and he wanted to get to know her better. Over the semester he'd been trying to work up the nerve to ask her out, but hadn't. He made a terrible joke one time about something and she graciously laughed. That was about it. He'd been single for a while and the only person he was interested in was her.

He thought she was wonderful. She was confident and kind. Bubbly and yet ambitious. Beautiful and humble. Sexy and sweet. Everyone wanted to be around her, including him.

The next day Caroline almost blushed when she walked down the hall to the bathroom with her sloppy ponytail and pajama pants as Klaus came from the other direction. They were alone. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

All of a sudden, she was looking at Klaus with new eyes since Stefan mentioned him. He was gorgeous, tall, blonde, and in great shape with beautiful blue eyes. He looked fantastic in his jeans and Henley. She looked like a slob in her pajamas. She'd seen him around the dorm, but never thought he'd be interested in her. He probably dated European models or something. He was quiet, but she'd heard him laugh once and it made her smile. Stefan only had good things to say about him. She thought he was nice, but didn't really know him other than he painted. "Hey."

"Nice socks," he teased and she smiled down at her fuzzy Christmas socks. "Another late night?" he asked with a smirk.

She liked his smirk, but his dimples made her melt. It wasn't as if she noticed before or anything.

"Actually a movie break before bed with my roommate," she said with a smile. "She threatened to steal my phone and alarm clock if I didn't take a break." That would have been the worst, so she reluctantly agreed to a brief break.

Klaus smiled and leaned his shoulder against the wall. "Which one?"

"My favorite holiday movie, Love Actually. It's a total chick flick, romantic and cheesy. It's great."

"Ah yes, my sister Rebekah made me watch it with her." He grinned, dimples showing. "It really is a chick flick."

She grinned and he was totally enamored.

"How many more finals do you have?" He really wanted to know how much longer she'd be on campus before the break. He knew she was from Stefan's home town only a few hours away.

"Two. I'm in the final editing stage of my English Lit paper and I have my Chemistry exam Wednesday. You?"

"The same. Statistics and Criminology." He gave her a look. "Chemistry for a Drama major?"

"I like to be well rounded," she said, standing up straight. She put her hand on her hip. "Statistics and Criminology for…what's your major?" She thought it could be art, but really didn't know.

"English," he said with a shy smile.

"So you like to be well rounded too." She really should go. Elena was probably wondering where she was. Running into a hunky guy sounded like a good excuse to her, but she wasn't sure what Elena would think. "Goodnight, Klaus."

"If you want me to look at your English paper, I will. That is, if you want me to." He tucked his hands behind his back, unsure.

Caroline grabbed his arm in excitement. There was a jolt between them. Something was growing. "I'll email it to you. What's your email?" He gave it to her and she repeated it, memorizing it. "If you could look at it, I can revise it in the morning. It's due at 3pm. Thank you so much, Klaus."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Caroline."

Caroline did as promised, emailing her paper to him, signing off with an X and O that he tried not to look too deeply into, especially when Stefan teased him about it when he stopped in for a beer. Stefan encouraged him to just ask her out already. When Stefan left, he looked over her paper, impressed.

Klaus emailed it back to her, leaving notes with his edits. When Caroline read them in the morning she realized how insightful they were and that they would polish up the weakest parts of her essay. She immediately incorporated them as best she could. Right in time, the paper was in her professor's mailbox. She marked it off her list and sent him a thank you email.

Klaus was even more into Caroline than before. If she wanted a grand gesture, he'd give her a grand gesture.

Inspired by Caroline's favorite holiday movie which he watched again himself, Klaus acted before it was too late. There was no telling how long an amazing woman like Caroline would be single. Plus, they would all be leaving campus shortly. If she rejected him, he'd be going to his brother Elijah's place the next day anyway for the holidays. He could lick his wounds there.

With a deep breath, he stood under her second floor window. It was dark and cold outside, but her light was on. Picking up small pebbles, he tossed them.

As his confidence began to wane, Caroline came to the window and opened it, sticking her head out. "Klaus? What are you doing?"

He picked up the first poster.

It read:

 _With any luck, by next year_

Klaus flipped to the next card.

 _I'll be going out with this girl._

The next card was a candid shot of Caroline from the year before. He flipped the next card as Caroline's hands went up to her face.

 _But for now let me say_

 _without hope or agenda_

 _just because it's Christmas_

 _(and at Christmas you tell the truth)_

Caroline nodded, recognizing her favorite movie coming to life in his own way.

 _to me, you are beautiful,_

 _strong,_

 _and full of light_

 _and I want to get to know you_

 _until you look like this._

There was a picture of a mummy that made her smile.

 _Merry Christmas, Caroline_

 _Will you make my Christmas wish come true_

 _and go to the Winter Formal with me?_

Caroline was already nodding when he got to the final card and yelled down to him. "Yes, yes I'll go with you Klaus."

She disappeared from view and before he knew it, she was racing at him in her bare feet and giving him the best and last first kiss of his life. "Yes."

50 years later when they were old and gray, Caroline would hold Klaus' hand and tell everyone how Klaus won her heart with his grand gesture.


End file.
